Customarily, the most inexpensive wheels (having a number of spokes that may be as high as 36) are assembled with spokes that are non-radial, and therefore cross over each other, on both sides of the wheel. The wheels used in competition are characterized by a smaller number of spokes (which may be as low as 16 or fewer) and are generally assembled with radial spokes on both sides of the wheel in the case of front wheels, while on the rear wheel the spokes on one side may be radial and those on the other side may be non-radial and crossed.
This type of configuration leads to aesthetic results that have now become established and repetitive. In commercial terms, it would be desirable to have spoking patterns available that are more original from the aesthetic standpoint and make it possible to distinguish the product from the many very similar wheels available on the market.
Apart from this requirement of differentiation from the aesthetic standpoint, it is also necessary to simplify the operations of assembling the wheels, this is particularly true in the case of high-quality wheels in which assembly takes place manually. In this case, specifically, it would be desirable to make use of an assembly sequence that facilitates the centring operations and reduces the assembly time.
A further requirement is to make the transmission of forces between the hub and the rim via the spokes more consistent and efficient.